Fastener clip



Dec. 14, 1948. w. H. CHURCHILL FASTENER CLIP Filed June 14, 1944 1921322erE aimwaaz.

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 OFFICE Application 'June 14, 1944, Se'riaLNof540,305

The present invention relate'sto fastener clips and more: particularly'to fa'stener: 'clip's designedlr to. be slipped uponad-joining :fac'esofian. angle w supporting member andsecurely-gripped:there-i onandprovided-with-meansto :slidably receive and retain-a par-t to besupported -byithe suppopti'i- More particularly, the invent/1011..DIOVid'QS 'fiH improved and simplified fastener clip fot remov ablyattaching cable harness clamps-to-an angu lar structural memberorsupport'.

Other aims l :and advantages of- "thfliflVBHtiQi-l will .beapparent-from .=a considerationofetheac companying drawingand annexed" Ispecification illustrating I and describing a preferred fotmuofas theinvention.

In the drawing Fignl is a side elevation of a.cable =harness clampinstallation employingmy impro-yedsfase tener clip,: a portion ofthemountior the-clamp being shown broken .awayg' F g. 2 is a sideelevationof-.1the clip;of the presw ent invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereofp Fig. 4 is a front-elevationthereofgtFig. 5 isa View illustratin'gathe manner of applying the fastener clipto the supllort; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionalview-of the mount of. the cable harness.clamp; andva portion -of..the clip. 1

Referring to the drawings... my improved fastener clip isadvantageously" formed of a single piece of resilient materiaL- such. asspringasheetsi metal, and comprises. a substantially L-ishaped member Ilivhavinga baseportionwlliand amangu larly disposed clampingor attachingportion-.0122 for clamping engagement with *ja-supportr-i, The clipiisdesigned primarilyjor. attaclnnentntoaan. angle structural member .Iorsupport whichfimay. be an ordinary angle bar, or the like. In certainstructures, for example, aircraft, railway cars and the like, structuralmembers of angle shape are employed and it is desirable to use these assupports for cable harness clamps where such are employed. In manyinstances these angle structural members I have inwardly flanged freeedges 2 and the bars may be rolled sections of steel, aluminum or othermetal.

Regardless of the shape of the supporting member I, it is usuallydisposed so that one web 3 is horizontal and joins an angular dependingflange 4. My improved fastener clip is constructed so that the base IIthereof engages and is supported by the horizontal web 3 while theclamping portions engage opposite faces of the flange to securely attachthe clip to the support.

5 Claimed (C 2. 15e-81) Ini'thezpreferred embodiment: of the invention,the fastener -clip= lcom'pri'ses ma vbase portion a .I I) r designed toengage and be supported-bythe web 3 of thesupport and angularlydisposedclamping I portions. IZi-I -IB adaptedto: engage. opposite facesI The-clamping portion I 2 is con-.

of the .flange'4. nected to the base portion I I by a U-shapedresilientwhinge portion I47 and. the: clampingportions I2 --I 3i areconnected by a bight portion 15.; The

pontiomzI 3 extends from the bight -1 portion. I 5! in convergentrelationlwith. the portion- I 21 toward the free end of the portion I3so as to provide yielding clamping engagement with thezsopposed fa'cesiofathelflange l of thesupport.

'I'hl fastenericliph I0 istappliedto the. support example:asin;:the:.directionrofthe arrow (Fig. 5): *,:the;base.:.I I is-forcedacrossythe. corner-.3 of

' 1 theisuppor-trtthe .outward'zyielding thereofsbeing permitted?by'thewesilient-lhinge I 4. Asythabase I I is forced over the corner ofthe support, it finally:;snapsxinto 3 engagement with the surfacesheldl-zin t'h'is P0sition by: the tensionofthe portions I. l -I -2 aswell-as zby the fact-that clamping pontions-w I 2 I3 tensionally gripoppositev f aces of the flanged.

The up;pe 1-* surface of the-base portion I of the fastener i clipadvantageously providesvan: articlesupperting surface. To 'retain thearticle to be supported securely on said base portion: the latter isrformed-rwith, a tongue 'I Gz-ClllTfI'Olll the body. of the base I I andintegrally joined thereto adjacent but rearwardly of the forwardterminal end I! thereof. Preferably the tongue I6 is of substantiallyless width than the base II, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to provide anupper clamping surface of substantial width, while the base II provideslower supporting and clamping surfaces on opposite sides of the tongue.The tongue IE may be formed by slitting the base from a .cut I8 in theupper part of the clamping portion I2 extending through the hinge I4 andalong spaced lines I9 toward the end I! and then displacing the bodyportion of the tongue outwardly from the plane of the base.

Preferably the tongue I6 and the connected end are displaced outwardlyfrom the plane of the base II, a distance substantially equal to suchcable harness clamps advantageously being of the type disclosed in myUnited States Patent No. 2,327,326, granted August 17, 1943.

These clamps or like devices may comprise. a

mounting or part (Fig. 1) having leg portions '22 defining a slottedaperture 23 and connecting a sheet metal base portion 2!, so adaptedthat the base portion 2| may be slippedunder the tongue l6 which willpass through the slotted aperture '23 and upon the base portion H whereit is held frictionally by the tensioned tongue. Accidental removal ofthe part 2| from the clip is prevented by the outwardly projecting hingeportion M which extends beyond the surface of the base portion II.

The fastener clip of the present invention is extremely simple inconstruction, economical of manufacture and may be quickly applied to anangle support.

Although I have illustrated and described one specific embodiment of theinvention, I do not Wish to be limited thereby because the scope of theinvention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fastener clip for attachment to a support having angularly disposedweb and leg portions, said clip comprising an article-supporting baseand an angularly disposed attaching portion, said attaching portionhaving opposed resilient clamping portions for anchoring the attachingportion to the leg portion of the support, and a resilient hingeconnecting the attaching and base portions permitting the latter to besprung over a corner of the support and snapped into engagement with theweb thereof and an article-engaging tongue extending from said base froma point adjacent the free end thereof rearwardly beyond the resilienthinge.

2. A fastener clip for attachment to a support having angularly disposedweb and leg portions,

3. A fastener clip for attachment to a support having angularly disposedWeb and leg portions, said clip comprising an article-supporting baseand a loop-shaped attaching portion extending in angular relationthereto, and a resilient hinge connecting the attaching and baseportions permitting the latter to be sprung over a corner of the supportand snapped into engagement with the web thereof, said loop portionhaving opposed clamping portions cooperating to engage opposed surfacesof said leg portion.

v4. A fastener clip for attachment to a support having angularlydisposed web and leg portions, said clip comprising anarticle-supporting base and a loop-shaped attaching portion extending inangular relation thereto, and a resilient hinge connecting the attachingand base portions permitting the latter to be sprung over a corner ofthe support and snapped into engagement with the web thereof, said loopportion having opposed resilient clamping portions connected by a bightat one end of said loop portion, said clamping portions cooperating toengage opposed surfaces of said leg portion, and said clamping portionbeing normally disposed in predetermined non-symmetrical relation one toanother whereby one clamping portion has a shape approximating thecontour of a portion of one surface of said leg when said clip issecured to said support.

5. A fastener clip for attachment to a sup-port having angularlydisposed web and leg portions, said clip comprising anarticle-supporting base and a loop-shaped attaching portion extending inangular relation thereto, and a resilent hinge connecting the attachingand base portions permitting the latter to be sprung over a corner ofthe support and snapped into engagement with the Web thereof, said loopportion having opposed resilient clamping portions for engagement withopposed surfaces of the leg portion of said support, and one of saidelements having a radius of predetermined sizeapproximating a radiusprovided by a surface of said leg thereby to increase the bearingengagement between said clamping portions and said leg.

Wll-MER H. CHURCHILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Duwe Jan.25, 1944

